Arkansas hosts Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships this Weekend

Bullneck Lake in Scott will be the scene of the Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships this weekend (June 7-8).  The tournament will be a chance to see some of the best water skiers in the world as they compete for titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall events. This is the first time the competition has been held in Arkansas.

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Among those heading to Arkansas for the competition are U.S. athlete Erika Lang (Gilbert, Arizona), who is currently the women’s world record holder in tricks and started water skiing when she was 2 years old. She recently set a new course record at the Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament in Georgia a few days ago.

The top water skiers in world in the Under 21 category will also be there including Martin Kolman (Czech Republic), ranked No. 1 in the world and Giannina Bonnemann (Germany), ranked No. 2 in the world. Taylor Garcia (Winter Garden, Florida), who is ranked No. 1 in the world in jumping and Nick Lank (Gilbert, Arizona), ranked No. 1 overall  in the Under 17 category  are also on the competition docket.

Athletes will be traveling from across the U.S. and world to compete in the tournament. Skiers from Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Canada, and Great Britain are on the lineup.

For a local connection to the tournament, be on the lookout for the Greenwood family. Scott Greenwood is president of the Bullneck Lake Ski Club  and his family is well versed in the sport. His children are champion skiers as well as his wife Jane.

In other water skiing news in Arkansas, the Cedar Creek Water Ski Park in Elkins will host the 2014 U.S. Junior Water Ski Team Trials June 28-29. This tournament is used to select the four-member U.S. Junior Water Ski Team that will compete in the Junior Water Ski World Championships near Lima, Peru. The U.S. team won the competition last year.